Hook.



C. T. EAID.

HOOK. 7 APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1916.

7,64. Patented May 21,1918.

ems.

CLAYTON 1. EAID, or PORTLAND, OREGON, ASSIGNOR or ONE-THIRD T0 JOSEPH L.ATKINS, or PORTLAND, OREGON.

HOOK.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, CLAYTON T, EAID, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah, in the Stateof Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hooks,of which the following is a specification, reference being had t theacompanying drawing.

My invention relates to hooks adapted to be applied to many and varioususes, and to be manufactured of many different materials and in manysizes, varying all the way from jewelers hooks of small delicateconstruction intended for personal wear, to the heavy logging hookillustrated, for example, in the drawing,

My hook comprises, in all its various forms of embodiment contemplated,a hookproper, a keeper therefor, and a preferably automatic keeper-lock.Those principal elements in combination, and by preference also certainadditional features, go to make up a device which is distinctivelystrong, and du-- rable, and which may be relied upon in service alwaysto perform its oflice.

What constitutes my invention will be hereinafter specified in detailand succinctly set forth in theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein my invention is shown as embodiedin a form known in the loggingart as a choker hook,

Figure I is a side elevation of my hook looking toward the closedkeeper, and illustrating parts of a cable to which it performs theoffice of a choker hook.

Fig. II is a central vertical section of the hook proper shown in Fig.I, the view being taken at right angles to that shown in Fig. I, and thekeeper being shown in elevation.

Fig. III shows the device illustrated in the preceding figures, with thekeeper open, and showing those relative positions of the hookproper andlock which only admit release of the keeper.

Fig. IV is a side elevation of my hook taken at right angles to the Viewshown in Fig. I, and corresponding in all respects to the device shownin the other figures, with the single exception that a cable socket is,by way of modification, shown in Fig. IV in place of the eyelet shown inthe other figures.

Referring to the numerals on the drawing, 1 indicates a member that isrepresentative Specification of Iietters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1918.

Application filed May 8, 1916. Serial No. 96,056.

of any suitable element for coupling my hook to another member inservice. It is shown as provided with an eyelet or transverseperforation adapted, as shown in Fig. I, to receive the bend 17 of acable 16.

In Fig. IV a cable socket 18 in place of the eyelet is shown.

The member 1 which is in effect a clevis includes a lock whichpreferably consists of a breast plate 2 preferably extending between andpreferably integral with check plates 3. The check plates as shown areprovided for the accommodation of a pivot pin 4; which is preferably insubstantial coaXial disposition to the breast plate 2. Upon the pin 4 ispivotally mounted the legs 7 of a preferably bifurcated hook-proper 5,so that the member 1 may be oscillated relatively to the hook 5 to bringthose members from their normal operative positions shown in Fig. II,for example, to that shown in Fig. III, wherein they are disposedsubstantially at right angles one to the other. The hook 5 is preferablyof solid construction with the exception, in addition to that alreadynoted, that it is preferably provided near its free end with abifurcating recess 15 whose legs accommodate a pin 10 upon which ispivotally mounted a keeper 11. The keeper is preferably made ,of a shapesomewhat resembling a letter 8. Its function is to close the opening ofthe hook 5 in such manner as to secure the hook 5 to its work or to anymember to which it may be applied or hooked. To that end the curvature.of the keeper is preferably modified from the true 8 shape by anindented curved face 13 which, when the keeper is closed, as shown inFig. II, completes, transversely With the inside contour 6 of the hook5, a

' true .circle.

shape and dimensionsto hook over the median portion of the pin 4 in thespace between the legs 7 of the hook 5. In that position it is securedby the lock, specifically the breast plate 2. Freedom of pivotalmovement of the hook 5 upon the pin at Within the limits imposed by theextent of the breastplate 2 is permitted without disengaging the keeper11 from the look. It is only when the member 1 is swung to such aposition relatively to the hook as is shown in Fig. III, that it ispossible to introduce the free or hooked end of the keeper intoengagement with the pin 4 or to disengage it therefrom after engagement.It should also be observed in this connection that positive actuation ofthe keeper is necessary to disengage it from the pin even after themembers 1 and 5 are in position to admit of such disengagement. Theangle of adjustment between-the parts 1 and 5 which permits thedescribed actuation of the keeper may be somewhat varied in theconstruction of the device, but is, for reasons hereinafter set forth,preferably at least a little greater than a right angle.

Particular reference is now made to Fig. I for the purpose of explainingthe specific application of the invention to logging purposes. In thatfigure the cable 16 is shown as secured at one end 17 to the member 1 ofmy device, its slack end being inserted through the circular aperturedefined between the hook 5 and indentation 13 of the keeper (see Fig.II) and free to slide therein. Freedom of sliding motion is facilitatedby the presence of the lugs 12 and by the inside curvelinear contour'ofthe hook 5 in dicated in dotted lines designated by the numeral 6 in-Fig. I. In operation the bight of the cable 16 between its end 17 andthe point at which it enters the hook 5 ispassed around a log or logsand is drawn taut about its load by tension on the free end of thecable. The object of my device, as a choker hook, is to effect freedomof movement of the cable 16 in either direction through the hook withperfect security of engagement In handling logs the loads areexceedingly heavy and provision must be made for drawing the bight ofthe cable taut about the load in order to hold it, for slacking itwithout kinking the cable, for insuring the hold of the hook on thecable inservice, and for safely and conveniently releasing the hook Ifrom the cable whenever required. All these advantages are obtainable toa maximum degree by the aid of my invention.

. My device permits the cable to run freely through the hook which iskept securely closed by the keeper 11 as long as there is tension on thecable. The flexibility of the cable, the pivotal action at 4, and thatbetween the hook and the cable at 6, all combine to draw the bight ofthe cable under tension snugly around the load and to eliminate abruptbends or sharp projection of any of the members. The keeper is preventedfrom escape from the lock unless those members assume relativelyrectangular positions which the presence of a load in the bightprohibits, so long as tension on the cable is maintained.

My invention is equally applicable to any fiexiblemember, that is, inuse, ordinarily under-a tension jhowever slight that is sufficient tokeep the members 1 and 5 alined against disengagement of the keeper bythe look. It may be applied to watch chains for example, to harness,particularly tugs reins, and back straps, and to a variety 0 similaruses unnecessary to enumerate.

In application to lighter uses the dimensions of the various membersalthough they bear the same relationship one to another as thatdescribed above, may be modified to suit the particular use.

' It is not my purpose to limit my invention in any wise to merestructural, details, but to reserve the right to modify and vary thesame within the principle of the invention as herein set forth.

Except in choker hooks, in Which they perform a useful function as hasbeen specifled, the extended width of the hook, indicated in Fig. I, andthe lugs 12 may be dispensed with, if desired.

What I claim is:

l. A hook comprising, in combination, a hook-proper, a keeper secured infixed pivotal relationship thereto, and a lock member automaticallyoperative under tension applied endwise of the hook, as specified, toconfine the keeper in position to close the open-end of the hook-proper.

2. The combination with a hook, and'a coupling member hinged thereto, ofa movable keeper for the hook, and a lock'member carried by the couplingmember in operative relationship to the keeper.

3. The combination with a hook, and coupling member hinged thereto, of'amovable keeper for the hook, and a lock member operative to engage anddisengage the keeper by the movement of the coupling member on itshinge.

4C. In a hook, the combination with a hook-proper, a keeper hinged tothe free end thereof, of a coupling member hinged to the hook-properconstituting a lock for the fine the keeper in position to close theopen end of the hook-proper, but when turned upon its pivot beyond suchlimits to release the keeper.

6. In ahook, the combination, with a hook-proper, another member, andapivot pin uniting the two, of a keeper pivoted to the free end of thehook-proper and having itself a free end adapted to make engagement anddisengagement with said pin, and means upon said member to compel saidengagement or to permit said disengagement at will.

7. In a hook, the combination, with a hook-proper, another member, and apivot pin uniting the two, of a keeper pivoted to the free end of thehook-proper and having itself a free end adapted to make engage ment anddisengagement with said pin, and means upon said member to compel saidengagenient or to permit said disengagementat will said means beingnormally operative by alining tension between said hook and member tocompel said engagement.

8. In a hook, the combination with a hookproper, a keeper pivoted to thefree end thereof, and a lock member, of means upon the keeper definingwith said hook-proper a circular aperture for effecting free slidingengagement with a cable or the like.

9. In a hook, the combination with a hookproper, a keeper pivoted to thefree end thereof, and a lock member, of means upon the keeper definingwith said hook-proper a circular aperture for effecting free slidingengagement with a cable or the like, and lugs upon opposite sides ofsaid keeper adjacent to said circular aperture.

10. The combination with a hook-proper and a pivot pin, of a movablekeeper having a pivotal connection with said pin and making engagementwith the free end of the hook-proper, and another member connected withthe pivot pin and controlling movement of the keeper.

11. The combination with a hook proper, and a member in fixed pivotalrelationship thereto, of a keeper movable with the hook so as to openand close the same, and means permitting the opening of the keeper onlyupon setting the hook and the members secured thereto at a predeterminedangle one to the other.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CLAYTON T. EAID.

Witnesses:

JOHN B. CLELAND, MABEL NEVILLE.

Copies 01 this patent may bebbtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

